HOW IMPORTANT IS YOUR FIRST JOB?

Graduating from university can be a unique
experience for many: it’s one of the biggest days of your lives and also the
end of a chapter. You may feel excitement from starting a new chapter in your
life, burning with curiosity and eager to navigate the real world. Conversely,
you may also feel anxious and uncertain on where to start or what’s lying ahead
of you. But whatever you feel, one thing is for certain: you need to take the
first step and start seeking for an income source.

Many graduates struggle when searching for
their first job and may jump at the first opportunity they come across but
think of this before you do: your first job after your graduation might just be
the most important decision you will make in your career. Whatever decision you
make, your first job is an opportunity for you to learn most of the
fundamentals in the workforce and shape the person you will become later in
your career.

One of the things that you will learn when you
enter the workforce is that it is crucial to build and maintain your
relationships and establish connections with other people in the company. You
may not realize the importance of it but building a mutual trust and positive
relationship between you and your colleagues will give you an extra benefit in
your career.

It’s
normal to be unaccustomed to professionalism and face major obstacles when
you’re straight out of university, but what’s important is how you deal with
your shortcomings and failures, and from that, form new habits and skills. In
your first year, you will be thrown into new situations and find your
problem-solving skills being tested, but as you go along with an open mind and
be able to stand up every time you fall, you’ll be able to steer through future
situations with strength and grace.

Just remember: you won’t always land the
jackpot with your first job, and that’s okay. Life isn’t always smooth sailing
but what’s important is what you can learn from those experiences and how you
utilize them in the future.